About This Lesson
Use Choosing a Comfortable Chair to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
どの椅子を選びましょうか？
doh-NOH ee-SOO oh eh-RAH-bee-mah-SHOH kah? Which chair should we choose?
B
これは快適そうです。
KOH-reh wah KAH-ee-TEH-kee soh DES. This one looks comfortable.
A
もう一つの椅子は小さすぎそうです。
moh-OO ee-TSOO noh ee-SOO wah chee-SAH-soo-GEE soh DES. The other chair seems too small.
B
では、これなら大丈夫そうです。
deh-WAH, KOH-reh nah-RAH dah-ee-JOH-boo soh DES. Then this one should work.
A
この明るい色をどう思いますか？
KOH-noh ah-KAH-roo-ee EE-roh oh doh-OH oh-MOH-ee-mahs kah? What do you think of the bright color?
B
明るい色なので、この椅子は見つけやすいです。
ah-KAH-roo-ee EE-roh nah-NOH-deh, KOH-noh ee-SOO wah mee-TSOO-keh yah-SOO-ee DES. It makes the chair easy to spot.
A
この椅子を選びましょう。
KOH-noh ee-SOO oh eh-RAH-bee-mah-SHOH. Let's choose this chair.
B
ここに動かします。
KOH-koh nee OO-goh-kah-SHEE-mahs. I will move it over here.Word by Word
どの
「どの」means “which” in 「どの椅子」, asking the listener to choose one chair from several. Use 「どの」directly before a noun when asking which item.
椅子
「椅子」means “chair” here, as in 「どの椅子」and 「この椅子」. Use it as the noun for a chair when choosing, describing, or moving one.
を
In 「この椅子を選びましょう」, 「を」marks 「この椅子」as the thing being chosen. It commonly follows the object of an action such as 「選びましょう」.
選びましょう
「選びましょう」means “let’s choose” in 「どの椅子を選びましょうか？」and 「この椅子を選びましょう」. It is a polite way to suggest choosing something together.
か
At the end of 「どの椅子を選びましょうか？」, 「か」turns the suggestion into a polite question. Use it at the end when asking for the other person’s choice or response.
これ
「これ」means “this one” and refers to the chair being considered. In 「これは快適そうです」, it is the item being described; use 「これ」when the item is clear from the situation.
は
In 「これは快適そうです」, 「は」marks 「これ」as the topic of the sentence. It helps introduce what you are going to describe or discuss.
快適
「快適」means “comfortable” in 「これは快適そうです」. It describes the chair as pleasant or comfortable, and it can be used before 「そう」to express that appearance.
そう
After 「快適」in 「快適そうです」, 「そう」shows that the chair looks or seems comfortable. Use it after a description when you are making an impression based on what you see.
です
The form 「です」gives a polite ending to the statement 「快適そうです」. It is useful for expressing a description politely in conversation.
もう一つ
In 「もう一つの椅子」, 「もう一つ」means “another one” or “the other one.” 「もう」adds the sense of an additional item, while 「一つ」counts one item; use the full phrase before 「の」when identifying another item.
の
In 「もう一つの椅子」, 「の」links 「もう一つ」to the noun 「椅子」and shows which chair is meant. Use it between a modifying phrase and the noun it describes.
小さすぎ
「小さすぎ」expresses “too small” in 「小さすぎそうです」. Here it describes the other chair as seeming smaller than suitable; use this form when excessive smallness is the concern.
では
「では」means “then” or “in that case” in 「では、これなら大丈夫そうです」. It connects the previous concern about the chair with the speaker’s next suggestion.
なら
In 「これなら大丈夫そうです」, 「なら」means “if it is this one” or “in the case of this one.” Use it after the item being considered when giving a judgment about that option.
大丈夫
「大丈夫」means “okay” or “suitable” in 「これなら大丈夫そうです」. It says that this chair appears acceptable for the situation, and it can be used to approve an option.
この
「この」means “this” before a noun, as in 「この明るい色」and 「この椅子」. Use 「この」directly before a nearby or currently selected item.
明るい
「明るい」means “bright” in 「明るい色」. It describes the color, and the phrase can be used when discussing how easy an item is to notice.
色
「色」means “color” in 「この明るい色」. Use it after a color description such as 「明るい」when talking about an item’s color.
どう
In 「どう思いますか？」, 「どう」asks “how” or “what do you think?” It is used to ask for someone’s evaluation or opinion about something.
思います
「思います」means “think” in 「どう思いますか？」. Together with 「どう」, it politely asks for an opinion; use this form when asking what someone thinks about an option or feature.
なので
「なので」means “because” or “since” in 「明るい色なので」. It gives the reason that the chair is easy to find, and it can follow a noun phrase when explaining a reason.
見つけやすい
「見つけやすい」means “easy to find” or “easy to spot” in 「この椅子は見つけやすいです」. It describes something as easy for a person to find, especially when its appearance makes it noticeable.
ここ
「ここ」means “here” in 「ここに動かします」. It identifies the place where the chair will be moved; use it when referring to the speaker’s nearby location.
に
In 「ここに動かします」, 「に」marks 「ここ」as the destination of the movement. It commonly follows a place when saying that something is moved to that place.
動かします
「動かします」means “will move it” or “move it” in 「ここに動かします」. It is the polite form used when saying that an object will be moved to a destination such as 「ここ」.
Grammar Points
〜ましょう
どの椅子を選びましょう。
doh-NOH ee-SOO oh eh-RAH-bee-mah-SHOH.Which chair shall we choose?
Add ましょう to the verb stem to make a polite suggestion meaning “let’s ...”.
〜そうです
この椅子は快適そうです。
KOH-noh ee-SOO wah KAH-ee-TEH-kee soh DES.This chair looks comfortable.
そうです after an adjective expresses an appearance or impression, meaning “looks” or “seems”.
Japanese Vocabulary
ここ
adv
KOH-koh
here
ここに動かします。
では
conj
deh-WAH
then
では、これなら大丈夫そうです。
どの
det
doh-NOH
which
どの椅子を選びましょうか?
もう一つ
phrase
moh-OO ee-TSOO
the other one
もう一つの椅子は小さすぎそうです。
椅子
noun
ee-SOO
chair
どの椅子を選びましょうか?
快適
adj
KAH-ee-TEH-kee
comfortable
快適そう
これは快適そうです。
見つけやすい
adj
mee-TSOO-keh yah-SOO-ee
easy to spot
この椅子は見つけやすいです。
小さい
adj
chee-SAH-ee
small
小さすぎそう
もう一つの椅子は小さすぎそうです。
色
noun
EE-roh
color
この明るい色をどう思いますか?
選ぶ
verb
eh-RAH-boo
to choose
選びましょう
どの椅子を選びましょうか?
大丈夫
adj
dah-ee-JOH-boo
all right; okay
大丈夫そう
では、これなら大丈夫そうです。
明るい
adj
ah-KAH-roo-ee
bright
この明るい色をどう思いますか?
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
all right; okay
Show Answer
大丈夫そうsmall
Show Answer
小さすぎそうthe other one
Show Answer
もう一つto choose